Pup chained to interstate guardrail; ACS seeks culprit

By Sarah Tressler :
May 20, 2013
: Updated: May 21, 2013 2:31am

This dog was found chained to the guardrail at the West Avenue access road of Interstate 10 East on Sunday. A witness reported seeing a man in his 30s or 40s chain the dog to the rail.

Animal Care Services plans to put the dog, which they have named Fresno, up for adoption placement later this week.

Photo By Courtesy

A dog was found chained to the guardrail of a busy highway Sunday.

Photo By Courtesy

A dog was found chained to the guardrail of a busy highway Sunday.

Animal Care Services is asking for help in identifying a man who chained a pit bull puppy to a guardrail on a freeway access road Sunday.

A witness reported seeing a man believed to be in his late 30s or 40s driving a red 2004-2008 Dodge Ram extended-bed pickup with paper license plates pull over on the West Avenue access road at Interstate 10 East and use a heavy chain to tether the pup to a guardrail with a padlock. The chain was attached to 35 pounds of barbell weight plates.

The call from the witness came in shortly before 9 a.m. An animal care officer arrived at the scene around 9:05 a.m. The dog was found to be in good health.

“He is actually relatively clean, with a healthy coat. He's a very active young dog,” said Audra Houghton, an animal cruelty specialist with ACS. “Our concern is that if he was chained up there on the guardrail, it could get pretty hot for him. There was no water, no shade. There's also the risk of being hit by a vehicle or even causing an accident.”

Anyone with information leading to the identification of the man who chained the dog to the guardrail is urged to call 311.

The dog, being called Fresno by ACS staff, will be ready for placement after his stray hold expires in 72 hours.

Last week, ACS seized a male dachshund mix after his owner sewed a thick length of twine into the dogs' side and sealed his wounds and muzzle with duct tape. Animal cruelty investigators called it an apparent act of at-home veterinary surgery after the owner said the dog came home with a large gash.

Lisa Norwood, a spokeswoman for ACS, said as of Monday the dog, being called Frank, still is recovering at the clinic.